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2 Chronicles 1-9
Holman Christian Standard Bible

Solomon’s Request for Wisdom

1 Solomon son of David strengthened his hold on his kingdom.(A) The Lord his God was with him and highly exalted him.(B) 2 Then Solomon spoke to all Israel, to the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, to the judges, and to every leader in all Israel—the heads of the families.(C) 3 Solomon and the whole assembly with him went to the high place that was in Gibeon(D) because God’s tent of meeting, which the Lord’s servant Moses had made(E) in the wilderness, was there. 4 Now David had brought the ark of God from Kiriath-jearim to the place[a] he had set up for it, because he had pitched a tent for it in Jerusalem,(F) 5 but he put[b] the bronze altar, which Bezalel son of Uri, son of Hur, had made,(G) in front of the Lord’s tabernacle. Solomon and the assembly inquired of Him[c] there. 6 Solomon offered sacrifices there in the Lord’s presence on the bronze altar at the tent of meeting; he offered 1,000 burnt offerings on it.(H)

7 That night(I) God appeared to Solomon and said to him: “Ask. What should I give you?”

8 And Solomon said to God: “You have shown great and faithful love to my father David, and You have made me king in his place.(J) 9 Lord God, let Your promise to my father David now come true.(K) For You have made me king over a people as numerous as the dust of the earth.(L) 10 Now grant me wisdom and knowledge so that I may lead these people,(M) for who can judge this great people of Yours?”

11 God said to Solomon, “Since this was in your heart, and you have not requested riches, wealth, or glory, or for the life of those who hate you, and you have not even requested long life, but you have requested for yourself wisdom and knowledge that you may judge My people over whom I have made you king, 12 wisdom and knowledge are given to you. I will also give you riches, wealth, and glory, unlike what was given to the kings who were before you, or will be given to those after you.”(N) 13 So Solomon went to Jerusalem from[d] the high place that was in Gibeon in front of the tent of meeting, and he reigned over Israel.

Solomon’s Horses and Wealth

14 Solomon(O) accumulated 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horsemen,(P) which he stationed in the chariot cities(Q) and with the king in Jerusalem. 15 The king made silver and gold as common in Jerusalem as stones, and he made cedar as abundant as sycamore in the Judean foothills. 16 Solomon’s horses came from Egypt and Kue.[e] The king’s traders would get them from Kue at the going price. 17 A chariot could be imported from Egypt for 15 pounds[f] of silver and a horse for about four pounds.[g] In the same way, they exported them to all the kings of the Hittites and to the kings of Aram through their agents.

Solomon’s Letter to Hiram

2 [h]Solomon decided to build a temple for the name of Yahweh and a royal palace for himself,(R) 2 [i]so he assigned 70,000 men as porters, 80,000 men as stonecutters in the mountains, and 3,600 as supervisors over them.(S)

3 Then Solomon sent word to King Hiram[j](T) of Tyre:(U)

Do for me what you did for my father David. You sent him cedars to build him a house to live in.(V) 4 Now I am building a temple for the name of Yahweh my God in order to dedicate it to Him for burning fragrant incense before Him,(W) for displaying the rows of the bread of the Presence continuously,(X) and for sacrificing burnt offerings for the morning and the evening,(Y) the Sabbaths(Z) and the New Moons, and the appointed festivals of the Lord our God. This is ordained for Israel forever. 5 The temple that I am building will be great, for our God is greater than any of the gods.(AA) 6 But who is able to build a temple for Him, since even heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain Him?(AB) Who am I then that I should build a temple for Him except as a place to burn incense before Him? 7 Therefore, send me a craftsman who is skilled in engraving to work with gold, silver, bronze, and iron, and with purple, crimson, and blue yarn. He will work with the craftsmen who are with me in Judah and Jerusalem,(AC) appointed by my father David.(AD) 8 Also, send me cedar, cypress, and algum[k](AE) logs from Lebanon, for I know that your servants know how to cut the trees of Lebanon. Note that my servants will be with your servants(AF) 9 to prepare logs for me in abundance because the temple I am building will be great and wonderful. 10 I will give your servants, the woodcutters who cut the trees, 100,000 bushels[l] of wheat flour, 100,000 bushels[m] of barley, 110,000 gallons[n] of wine, and 110,000 gallons[o] of oil.

Hiram’s Reply

11 Then King Hiram of Tyre wrote a letter[p] and sent it to Solomon:

Because the Lord loves His people, He set you over them as king.(AG)

12 Hiram also said:

May the Lord God of Israel, who made the heavens and the earth,(AH) be praised! He gave King David a wise son with insight and understanding,(AI) who will build a temple for the Lord and a royal palace for himself.(AJ) 13 I have now sent Huram-abi,[q] a skillful man who has understanding.(AK) 14 He is the son of a woman from the daughters of Dan. His father is a man of Tyre. He knows how to work with gold, silver, bronze, iron, stone, and wood, with purple, blue, crimson yarn, and fine linen. He knows how to do all kinds of engraving and to execute any design that may be given him. I have sent him to be with your craftsmen and the craftsmen of my lord, your father David. 15 Now, let my lord send the wheat, barley, oil, and wine to his servants as promised.(AL) 16 We will cut logs from Lebanon, as many as you need, and bring them to you as rafts by sea to Joppa. You can then take them up to Jerusalem.(AM)

Solomon’s Work Force

17 Solomon took a census of all the foreign men in the land of Israel, after the census that his father David had conducted,(AN) and the total was 153,600. 18 Solomon made 70,000 of them porters, 80,000 stonecutters in the mountains, and 3,600 supervisors to make the people work.(AO)

Building the Temple

3 Then Solomon began(AP) to build the Lord’s temple in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah(AQ) where the Lord[r] had appeared to his father David, at the site David had prepared on the threshing floor of Ornan[s] the Jebusite. 2 He began to build on the second day of the second month in the fourth year of his reign. 3 These are Solomon’s foundations[t] for building God’s temple: the length[u] was 90 feet,[v] and the width 30 feet.[w] 4 The portico, which was across the front extending across the width of the temple, was 30 feet[x] wide; its height was 30 feet;[y][z] he overlaid its inner surface with pure gold. 5 The larger room[aa] he paneled with cypress wood, overlaid with fine gold, and decorated with palm trees and chains. 6 He adorned the temple with precious stones for beauty, and the gold was the gold of Parvaim. 7 He overlaid the temple—the beams, the thresholds, its walls and doors—with gold,(AR) and he carved cherubim on the walls.(AS)

The Most Holy Place

8 Then he made the most holy place; its length corresponded to the width of the temple, 30 feet,[ab] and its width was 30 feet.[ac](AT) He overlaid it with 45,000 pounds[ad] of fine gold. 9 The weight of the nails was 20 ounces[ae] of gold, and he overlaid the ceiling with gold.

10 He made(AU) two cherubim of sculptured work, for the most holy place, and he overlaid them with gold. 11 The overall length of the wings of the cherubim was 30 feet:[af] the wing of one was 7½ feet,[ag] touching the wall of the room; its other wing was 7½ feet,[ah] touching the wing of the other cherub. 12 The wing of the other[ai] cherub was 7½ feet,[aj] touching the wall of the room; its other wing was 7½ feet,[ak] reaching the wing of the other cherub. 13 The wingspan of these cherubim was 30 feet.[al] They stood on their feet and faced the larger room.[am]

14 He made the veil of blue, purple, and crimson yarn and fine linen, and he wove cherubim into it.(AV)

The Bronze Pillars

15 In front of the temple(AW) he made two pillars, each 27 feet[an][ao] high. The capital on top of each was 7½ feet[ap] high. 16 He had made chainwork in the inner sanctuary and also put it on top of the pillars.(AX) He made 100 pomegranates and fastened them into the chainwork. 17 Then he set up the pillars in front of the sanctuary, one on the right and one on the left. He named the one on the right Jachin[aq] and the one on the left Boaz.[ar]

The Altar, Reservoir, and Basins

4 He made a bronze altar(AY) 30 feet[as] long, 30 feet[at] wide, and 15 feet[au] high.

2 Then he made the cast metal reservoir,(AZ) 15 feet[av] from brim to brim, perfectly round. It was 7½ feet[aw] high and 45 feet[ax] in circumference. 3 The likeness of oxen[ay] was below it, completely encircling it, 10 every half yard,[az] completely surrounding the reservoir. The oxen were cast in two rows when the reservoir was cast. 4 It stood on 12 oxen, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south, and three facing east. The reservoir was on top of them and all their hindquarters were toward the center. 5 The reservoir was three inches[ba] thick, and its rim was fashioned like the brim of a cup or a lily blossom. It could hold 11,000 gallons.[bb]

6 He made 10 basins for washing and he put five on the right and five on the left.(BA) The parts of the burnt offering were rinsed in them,(BB) but the reservoir was used by the priests for washing.

The Lampstands, Tables, and Courts

7 He made the 10 gold lampstands according to their specifications and put them in the sanctuary, five on the right and five on the left.(BC) 8 He made 10 tables and placed them in the sanctuary, five on the right and five on the left.(BD) He also made 100 gold bowls.

9 He made the courtyard(BE) of the priests and the large court, and doors for the court. He overlaid the doors with bronze. 10 He put the reservoir on the right side, toward the southeast.(BF) 11 Then Huram[bc](BG) made(BH) the pots, the shovels, and the bowls.

Completion of the Bronze Furnishings

So Huram finished doing the work that he was doing for King Solomon in God’s temple: 12 two pillars; the bowls and the capitals on top of the two pillars; the two gratings for covering both bowls of the capitals that were on top of the pillars; 13 the 400 pomegranates for the two gratings (two rows of pomegranates for each grating covering both capitals’ bowls on top of the pillars(BI)). 14 He also made the water carts[bd](BJ) and the basins on the water carts. 15 The one reservoir and the 12 oxen underneath it, 16 the pots, the shovels, the forks, and all their utensils—Huram-abi[be](BK) made them for King Solomon for the Lord’s temple. All these were made of polished bronze. 17 The king had them cast in clay molds in the Jordan Valley between Succoth and Zeredah. 18 Solomon made all these utensils in such great abundance that the weight of the bronze was not determined.

Completion of the Gold Furnishings

19 Solomon also made all the equipment in God’s temple: the gold altar; the tables on which to put the bread of the Presence;(BL) 20 the lampstands and their lamps of pure gold to burn in front of the inner sanctuary according to specifications;(BM) 21 the flowers, lamps, and gold tongs—of purest gold; 22 the wick trimmers, sprinkling basins, ladles,[bf] and firepans—of purest gold; and the entryway to the temple, its inner doors to the most holy place, and the doors of the temple sanctuary—of gold.

5 So all the work Solomon did for the Lord’s temple was completed. Then Solomon brought the consecrated things of his father David—the silver, the gold, and all the utensils—and put them in the treasuries of God’s temple.

Preparations for the Temple Dedication

2 At that time(BN) Solomon assembled at Jerusalem the elders of Israel—all the tribal heads, the ancestral chiefs of the Israelites—in order to bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord up from the city of David,(BO) that is, Zion. 3 So all the men of Israel were assembled in the king’s presence at the festival; this was in the seventh month.[bg]

4 All the elders of Israel came, and the Levites picked up the ark. 5 They brought up the ark, the tent of meeting, and the holy utensils that were in the tent. The priests and the Levites brought them up. 6 King Solomon and the entire congregation of Israel who had gathered around him were in front of the ark sacrificing sheep and cattle that could not be counted or numbered because there were so many. 7 The priests brought the ark of the Lord’s covenant to its place, into the inner sanctuary of the temple, to the most holy place, beneath the wings of the cherubim.(BP) 8 And the cherubim spread their wings over the place of the ark so that the cherubim formed a cover above the ark and its poles. 9 The poles were so long that their ends were seen from the holy place[bh](BQ) in front of the inner sanctuary, but they were not seen from outside; they are there to this very day. 10 Nothing was in the ark except the two tablets that Moses had put in it at Horeb,[bi](BR) where the Lord had made a covenant with the Israelites when they came out of Egypt.

11 Now all the priests who were present had consecrated themselves regardless of their divisions.(BS) When the priests came out of the holy place, 12 the Levitical singers dressed in fine linen and carrying cymbals, harps, and lyres(BT) were standing east of the altar, and with them were 120 priests blowing trumpets.(BU) The Levitical singers were descendants of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun and their sons(BV) and relatives. 13 The trumpeters and singers joined together to praise and thank the Lord with one voice. They raised their voices, accompanied by trumpets, cymbals, and musical instruments,(BW) in praise to the Lord:

For He is good;
His faithful love endures forever.(BX)

The temple, the Lord’s temple, was filled with a cloud.(BY) 14 And because of the cloud, the priests were not able to continue ministering, for the glory of the Lord filled God’s temple.(BZ)

Solomon’s Dedication of the Temple

6 Then Solomon said:(CA)

The Lord said He would dwell in thick darkness,(CB)
2 but I have built an exalted temple for You,
a place for Your residence forever.

3 Then the king turned and blessed the entire congregation of Israel while they were standing. 4 He said:

May the Lord God of Israel be praised!
He spoke directly to my father David,
and He has fulfilled the promise
by His power.
He said,
5 “Since the day I brought My people Israel
out of the land of Egypt,(CC)
I have not chosen a city to build a temple in
among any of the tribes of Israel,
so that My name would be there,
and I have not chosen a man
to be ruler over My people Israel.
6 But I have chosen Jerusalem
so that My name will be there,(CD)
and I have chosen David
to be over My people Israel.”(CE)

7 Now it was in the heart of my father David
to build a temple for the name of Yahweh, the God of Israel.(CF)
8 However, Yahweh said to my father David,
“Since it was your desire to build a temple for My name,
you have done well to have this desire.
9 Yet, you are not the one to build the temple,
but your son, your own offspring,
will build the temple for My name.”
10 So Yahweh has fulfilled what He promised.
I have taken the place of my father David
and I sit on the throne of Israel, as Yahweh promised.
I have built the temple for the name of Yahweh, the God of Israel.
11 I have put the ark there,
where Yahweh’s covenant is
that He made with the Israelites.(CG)

Solomon’s Prayer

12 Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in front of the entire congregation of Israel and spread out his hands. 13 For Solomon had made a bronze platform 7½ feet[bj] long, 7½ feet[bk] wide, and 4½ feet[bl] high and put it in the court. He stood on it,(CH) knelt down in front of the entire congregation of Israel, and spread out his hands toward heaven.(CI) 14 He said:

Lord God of Israel,
there is no God like You
in heaven or on earth,(CJ)
keeping His gracious covenant
with Your servants who walk before You
with their whole heart.(CK)
15 You have kept what You promised
to Your servant, my father David.
You spoke directly to him,
and You fulfilled Your promise by Your power,
as it is today.(CL)
16 Therefore, Lord God of Israel,
keep what You promised
to Your servant, my father David:
“You will never fail to have a man
to sit before Me on the throne of Israel,(CM)
if only your sons guard their way to walk in My Law
as you have walked before Me.”
17 Now, Lord God of Israel, please confirm
what You promised to Your servant David.

18 But will God indeed live on earth with man?
Even heaven, the highest heaven, cannot contain You,(CN)
much less this temple I have built.
19 Listen[bm] to Your servant’s prayer and his petition,
Lord my God,
so that You may hear the cry and the prayer
that Your servant prays before You,
20 so that Your eyes watch over this temple
day and night,
toward the place where You said
You would put Your name;(CO)
and so that You may hear the prayer
Your servant prays toward this place.
21 Hear the petitions of Your servant
and Your people Israel,
which they pray toward this place.
May You hear in Your dwelling place in heaven.
May You hear and forgive.

22 If a man sins against his neighbor
and is forced to take an oath[bn]
and he comes to take an oath
before Your altar in this temple,
23 may You hear in heaven and act.
May You judge Your servants,
condemning the wicked man by bringing
what he has done on his own head
and providing justice for the righteous
by rewarding him according to his righteousness.

24 If Your people Israel are defeated before an enemy,
because they have sinned against You,
and they return to You and praise Your name,
and they pray and plead for mercy
before You in this temple,
25 may You hear in heaven
and forgive the sin of Your people Israel.
May You restore them to the land
You gave them and their ancestors.

26 When the skies are shut and there is no rain
because they have sinned against You,
and they pray toward this place
and praise Your name,
and they turn from their sins
because You are afflicting[bo](CP) them,
27 may You hear in heaven
and forgive the sin of Your servants
and Your people Israel,
so that You may teach them the good way
they should walk in.
May You send rain on Your land
that You gave Your people for an inheritance.

28 When there is famine on the earth,
when there is pestilence,
when there is blight, mildew, locust, or grasshopper,
when their enemies besiege them
in the region of their fortified cities,[bp](CQ)
when there is any plague or illness,
29 whatever prayer or petition
anyone from your people Israel might have—
each man knowing his own affliction[bq] and suffering,
and spreading out his hands toward this temple—
30 may You hear in heaven, Your dwelling place,
and may You forgive and repay the man
according to all his ways, since You know his heart,
for You alone know the human heart,(CR)
31 so that they may fear You
and walk in Your ways
all the days they live on the land
You gave our ancestors.

32 Even for the foreigner who is not of Your people Israel
but has come from a distant land
because of Your great name
and Your mighty hand and outstretched arm:(CS)
when he comes and prays toward this temple,
33 may You hear in heaven in Your dwelling place,
and do all the foreigner asks You.
Then all the peoples of the earth will know Your name,
to fear You as Your people Israel do
and know that this temple I have built
is called by Your name.(CT)

34 When Your people go out to fight against their enemies,
wherever You send them,
and they pray to You
in the direction of this city You have chosen(CU)
and the temple that I have built for Your name,
35 may You hear their prayer and petition in heaven
and uphold their cause.

36 When they sin against You—
for there is no one who does not sin(CV)—
and You are angry with them
and hand them over to the enemy,
and their captors deport them
to a distant or nearby country,
37 and when they come to their senses
in the land where they were deported
and repent and petition You in their captors’ land,
saying: “We have sinned and done wrong;
we have been wicked,”
38 and when they return to You with their whole mind and heart
in the land of their captivity where they were taken captive,
and when they pray in the direction of their land
that You gave their ancestors,
and the city You have chosen,
and toward the temple I have built for Your name,
39 may You hear their prayer and petitions in heaven,
Your dwelling place,
and uphold their cause.[br]
May You forgive Your people
who sinned against You.

40 Now, my God,
please let Your eyes be open
and Your ears attentive
to the prayer of this place.(CW)
41 Now therefore:(CX)

Arise, Lord God, come to Your resting place,
You and Your powerful ark.
May Your priests, Lord God, be clothed with salvation,
and may Your godly people rejoice in goodness.
42 Lord God, do not reject Your anointed one;[bs]
remember the loyalty of Your servant David.(CY)

The Dedication Ceremonies

7 When Solomon finished praying,(CZ) fire descended from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices,(DA) and the glory of the Lord filled the temple. 2 The priests were not able to enter the Lord’s temple because the glory of the Lord filled the temple of the Lord. 3 All the Israelites were watching when the fire descended and the glory of the Lord came on the temple. They bowed down on the pavement with their faces to the ground. They worshiped and praised the Lord:

For He is good,
for His faithful love endures forever.(DB)

4 The king and all the people were offering sacrifices in the Lord’s presence.(DC) 5 King Solomon offered a sacrifice of 22,000 cattle and 120,000 sheep. In this manner the king and all the people dedicated God’s temple. 6 The priests and the Levites were standing at their stations. The Levites had the musical instruments of the Lord, which King David had made to praise the Lord—“for His faithful love endures forever”—when he offered praise with them.(DD) Across from the Levites, the priests were blowing trumpets, and all the people were standing. 7 Since the bronze altar that Solomon had made(DE) could not accommodate the burnt offering, the grain offering, and the fat of the fellowship offerings, Solomon first consecrated the middle of the courtyard(DF) that was in front of the Lord’s temple and then offered the burnt offerings and the fat of the fellowship offerings there.(DG)

8 So Solomon and all Israel with him—a very great assembly, from the entrance to Hamath[bt] to the Brook of Egypt—observed the festival at that time for seven days. 9 On the eighth day[bu] they held a sacred assembly,(DH) for the dedication of the altar lasted seven days and the festival seven days. 10 On the twenty-third day of the seventh month he sent the people away to their tents, rejoicing and with happy hearts for the goodness the Lord had done for David, for Solomon, and for His people Israel.

11 So Solomon finished the Lord’s temple and the royal palace. Everything that had entered Solomon’s heart to do for the Lord’s temple and for his own palace succeeded.(DI)

The Lord’s Response

12 Then the Lord appeared to Solomon at night and said to him:

I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for Myself as a temple of sacrifice.(DJ) 13 If I close the sky so there is no rain, or if I command the grasshopper to consume the land, or if I send pestilence on My people,(DK) 14 and My people who are called by My name humble themselves, pray and seek My face, and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.(DL) 15 My eyes will now be open and My ears attentive to prayer from this place.(DM) 16 And I have now chosen and consecrated this temple so that My name may be there forever; My eyes and My heart will be there at all times.(DN)

17 As for you, if you walk before Me as your father David walked, doing everything I have commanded you, and if you keep My statutes and ordinances, 18 I will establish your royal throne, as I promised your father David: You will never fail to have a man ruling in Israel.(DO)

19 However, if you turn away and abandon My statutes and My commands that I have set before you and if you go and serve other gods and worship them,(DP) 20 then I will uproot Israel from the soil that I gave them, and this temple that I have sanctified for My name I will banish from My presence;(DQ) I will make it an object of scorn and ridicule among all the peoples.(DR) 21 As for this temple, which was exalted, everyone who passes by will be appalled and will say:(DS) Why did the Lord do this to this land and this temple? 22 Then they will say: Because they abandoned the Lord God of their ancestors who brought them out of the land of Egypt. They clung to other gods and worshiped and served them. Because of this, He brought all this ruin on them.

Solomon’s Later Building Projects

8 At the end of 20 years(DT) during which Solomon had built the Lord’s temple and his own palace— 2 Solomon had rebuilt the cities Hiram[bv] gave him and settled Israelites there— 3 Solomon went to Hamath-zobah and seized it. 4 He built Tadmor in the wilderness along with all the storage cities that he built in Hamath. 5 He built Upper Beth-horon and Lower Beth-horon(DU)—fortified cities with walls, gates, and bars(DV)— 6 Baalath, all the storage cities that belonged to Solomon, all the chariot cities, the cavalry cities, and everything Solomon desired to build in Jerusalem, Lebanon, or anywhere else in the land of his dominion.

7 As for all the peoples who remained of the Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, who were not from Israel(DW)— 8 their descendants who remained in the land after them, those the Israelites had not completely destroyed—Solomon imposed forced labor on them; it is this way today.(DX) 9 But Solomon did not consign the Israelites to be slaves for his work; they were soldiers, commanders of his captains, and commanders of his chariots and his cavalry. 10 These were King Solomon’s deputies: 250 who ruled over the people.

11 Solomon brought the daughter of Pharaoh from the city of David to the house he had built for her,(DY) for he said, “My wife must not live in the house[bw] of David king of Israel because the places the ark of the Lord has come into are holy.”

Public Worship Established at the Temple

12 At that time(DZ) Solomon offered burnt offerings to the Lord on the Lord’s altar he had made in front of the portico.(EA) 13 He followed the daily requirement(EB) for offerings according to the commandment of Moses(EC) for Sabbaths, New Moons, and the three annual appointed festivals: the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the Festival of Weeks, and the Festival of Booths.(ED) 14 According to the ordinances of his father David, he appointed the divisions of the priests over their service,(EE) of the Levites over their responsibilities to offer praise and to minister before the priests following the daily requirement,(EF) and of the gatekeepers by their divisions with respect to each gate,(EG) for this had been the command of David, the man of God.(EH) 15 They did not turn aside from the king’s command regarding the priests and the Levites concerning any matter or concerning the treasuries.(EI) 16 All of Solomon’s work was carried out from the day the foundation was laid for the Lord’s temple until it was finished. So the Lord’s temple was completed.

Solomon’s Fleet

17 At that time(EJ) Solomon went to Ezion-geber and to Eloth(EK) on the seashore in the land of Edom. 18 So Hiram[bx] sent ships to him by his servants along with crews of experienced seamen. They went with Solomon’s servants to Ophir, took from there 17 tons[by] of gold, and delivered it to King Solomon.(EL)

The Queen of Sheba

9 The queen of Sheba heard of Solomon’s fame,(EM) so she came to test Solomon with difficult questions at Jerusalem with a very large entourage, with camels bearing spices, gold in abundance, and precious stones. She came to Solomon and spoke with him about everything that was on her mind. 2 So Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was too difficult for Solomon to explain to her. 3 When the queen of Sheba observed Solomon’s wisdom, the palace he had built, 4 the food at his table, his servants’ residence, his attendants’ service and their attire, his cupbearers and their attire, and the burnt offerings he offered at the Lord’s temple, it took her breath away.

5 She said to the king, “The report I heard in my own country about your words and about your wisdom is true. 6 But I didn’t believe their reports until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, I was not even told half of your great wisdom! You far exceed the report I heard. 7 How happy are your men.[bz](EN) How happy are these servants of yours, who always stand in your presence hearing your wisdom. 8 May the Lord your God be praised! He delighted in you and put you on His throne as king for the Lord your God.(EO) Because Your God loved Israel enough to establish them forever, He has set you over them as king to carry out justice and righteousness.”(EP)

9 Then she gave the king four and a half tons[ca] of gold, a great quantity of spices, and precious stones. There never were such spices as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon. 10 In addition, Hiram’s servants and Solomon’s servants who brought gold from Ophir(EQ) also brought algum wood and precious stones. 11 The king made the algum wood into walkways for the Lord’s temple and for the king’s palace and into lyres and harps for the singers. Never before had anything like them been seen in the land of Judah.

12 King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba her every desire, whatever she asked—far more than she had brought the king. Then she, along with her servants, returned to her own country.

Solomon’s Wealth

13 The weight of gold that came to Solomon(ER) annually was 25 tons,[cb] 14 besides what was brought by the merchants and traders. All the Arabian kings and governors of the land also brought gold and silver to Solomon.

15 King Solomon made 200 large shields of hammered gold; 15 pounds[cc] of hammered gold went into each shield. 16 He made 300 small shields of hammered gold; about eight pounds[cd] of gold went into each shield. The king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon.(ES)

17 The king also made a large ivory throne and overlaid it with pure gold. 18 The throne had six steps; there was a footstool covered in gold for the throne, armrests on either side of the seat, and two lions standing beside the armrests. 19 Twelve lions were standing there on the six steps, one at each end. Nothing like it had ever been made in any other kingdom.

20 All of King Solomon’s drinking cups were gold, and all the utensils of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold. There was no silver, since it was considered as nothing in Solomon’s time, 21 for the king’s ships kept going to Tarshish(ET) with Hiram’s servants, and once every three years the ships of Tarshish would arrive bearing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.[ce]

22 King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the world in riches and wisdom.(EU) 23 All the kings of the world wanted an audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart. 24 Each of them would bring his own gift—items[cf] of silver and gold, clothing, weapons,[cg][ch] spices, and horses and mules—as an annual tribute.

25 Solomon(EV) had 4,000 stalls for horses and chariots, and 12,000 horsemen.(EW) He stationed them in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem. 26 He ruled over all the kings from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines and as far as the border of Egypt.(EX) 27 The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and he made cedar as abundant as sycamore in the Judean foothills. 28 They were bringing horses for Solomon from Egypt and from all the countries.

Solomon’s Death

29 The remaining events(EY) of Solomon’s reign, from beginning to end, are written in the Events of Nathan the Prophet, the Prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and the Visions of Iddo the Seer concerning Jeroboam son of Nebat.(EZ) 30 Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel for 40 years. 31 Solomon rested with his fathers and was buried in the city of his father David.(FA) His son Rehoboam became king in his place.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 1:4 Vg; MT omits the place
  2. 2 Chronicles 1:5 Some Hb mss, Tg, Syr; other Hb mss, LXX, Vg read but there was
  3. 2 Chronicles 1:5 Or it
  4. 2 Chronicles 1:13 LXX, Vg; MT reads to
  5. 2 Chronicles 1:16 = Cilicia
  6. 2 Chronicles 1:17 Lit 600 shekels
  7. 2 Chronicles 1:17 Lit 150 shekels
  8. 2 Chronicles 2:1 2Ch 1:18 in Hb
  9. 2 Chronicles 2:2 2Ch 2:1 in Hb
  10. 2 Chronicles 2:3 Some Hb mss, LXX, Syr, Vg; other Hb mss read Huram; 2Sm 5:11; 1Kg 5:1-2
  11. 2 Chronicles 2:8 = almug in 1Kg 10:11-12
  12. 2 Chronicles 2:10 Lit 20,000 cors
  13. 2 Chronicles 2:10 Lit 20,000 cors
  14. 2 Chronicles 2:10 Lit 20,000 baths
  15. 2 Chronicles 2:10 Lit 20,000 baths
  16. 2 Chronicles 2:11 Lit Tyre said in writing
  17. 2 Chronicles 2:13 Lit Huram my father
  18. 2 Chronicles 3:1 LXX; Tg reads the Angel of the Lord; MT reads He
  19. 2 Chronicles 3:1 = Araunah in 2Sm 24:16-24
  20. 2 Chronicles 3:3 Tg reads The measurements which Solomon decreed
  21. 2 Chronicles 3:3 Lit length—cubits in the former measure—
  22. 2 Chronicles 3:3 Lit 60 cubits
  23. 2 Chronicles 3:3 Lit 20 cubits
  24. 2 Chronicles 3:4 Lit 20 cubits
  25. 2 Chronicles 3:4 LXX, Syr; MT reads 120 cubits
  26. 2 Chronicles 3:4 Lit 20 cubits
  27. 2 Chronicles 3:5 Lit The house
  28. 2 Chronicles 3:8 Lit 20 cubits
  29. 2 Chronicles 3:8 Lit 20 cubits
  30. 2 Chronicles 3:8 Lit 600 talents
  31. 2 Chronicles 3:9 Lit 50 shekels
  32. 2 Chronicles 3:11 Lit 20 cubits
  33. 2 Chronicles 3:11 Lit five cubits
  34. 2 Chronicles 3:11 Lit five cubits
  35. 2 Chronicles 3:12 Syr, Vg; MT reads the one
  36. 2 Chronicles 3:12 Lit five cubits
  37. 2 Chronicles 3:12 Lit five cubits
  38. 2 Chronicles 3:13 Lit 20 cubits
  39. 2 Chronicles 3:13 Lit the house
  40. 2 Chronicles 3:15 Hb uncertain
  41. 2 Chronicles 3:15 Lit 35 cubits
  42. 2 Chronicles 3:15 Lit five cubits
  43. 2 Chronicles 3:17 = He Will Establish
  44. 2 Chronicles 3:17 = Strength Is in Him
  45. 2 Chronicles 4:1 Lit 20 cubits
  46. 2 Chronicles 4:1 Lit 20 cubits
  47. 2 Chronicles 4:1 Lit 10 cubits
  48. 2 Chronicles 4:2 Lit 10 cubits
  49. 2 Chronicles 4:2 Lit five cubits
  50. 2 Chronicles 4:2 Lit 30 cubits
  51. 2 Chronicles 4:3 = gourds in 1Kg 7:24
  52. 2 Chronicles 4:3 Lit 10 per cubit
  53. 2 Chronicles 4:5 Lit a handbreadth
  54. 2 Chronicles 4:5 Text emended; MT reads 3,000 baths in 1Kg 7:26
  55. 2 Chronicles 4:11 = Hiram in 1Kg 7:13,40,45
  56. 2 Chronicles 4:14 Lit the stands
  57. 2 Chronicles 4:16 Lit Huram my father
  58. 2 Chronicles 4:22 Or dishes, or spoons; lit palms
  59. 2 Chronicles 5:3 = Tishri (September–October)
  60. 2 Chronicles 5:9 Some Hb mss, LXX; other Hb mss read the ark; 1Kg 8:8
  61. 2 Chronicles 5:10 = Sinai
  62. 2 Chronicles 6:13 Lit five cubits
  63. 2 Chronicles 6:13 Lit five cubits
  64. 2 Chronicles 6:13 Lit three cubits
  65. 2 Chronicles 6:19 Lit Turn
  66. 2 Chronicles 6:22 Lit and he lifts a curse against him to curse him
  67. 2 Chronicles 6:26 LXX, Vg; MT reads answering; 1Kg 8:35
  68. 2 Chronicles 6:28 Lit if his (Israel’s) enemies besiege him in the land of his gates; Jos 2:7; Jdg 16:2-3
  69. 2 Chronicles 6:29 Lit plague
  70. 2 Chronicles 6:39 Lit and do their judgment or justice
  71. 2 Chronicles 6:42 Some Hb mss, LXX; other Hb mss read ones; Ps 132:10
  72. 2 Chronicles 7:8 Or from Lebo-hamath
  73. 2 Chronicles 7:9 = the day after the festival, or the 15th day
  74. 2 Chronicles 8:2 = the king of Tyre
  75. 2 Chronicles 8:11 LXX reads city
  76. 2 Chronicles 8:18 Lit Huram
  77. 2 Chronicles 8:18 Lit 450 talents
  78. 2 Chronicles 9:7 LXX, Old Lat read wives; 1Kg 10:8
  79. 2 Chronicles 9:9 Lit 120 talents
  80. 2 Chronicles 9:13 Lit 666 talents
  81. 2 Chronicles 9:15 Lit 600 (shekels)
  82. 2 Chronicles 9:16 Lit 300 (shekels)
  83. 2 Chronicles 9:21 Or baboons
  84. 2 Chronicles 9:24 Or vessels, or weapons
  85. 2 Chronicles 9:24 LXX reads resin
  86. 2 Chronicles 9:24 Or fragrant balsam
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2 Chronicles 1-9
New International Version

Solomon Asks for Wisdom(A)(B)

1 Solomon son of David established(C) himself firmly over his kingdom, for the Lord his God was with(D) him and made him exceedingly great.(E)

2 Then Solomon spoke to all Israel(F)—to the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, to the judges and to all the leaders in Israel, the heads of families— 3 and Solomon and the whole assembly went to the high place at Gibeon,(G) for God’s tent of meeting(H) was there, which Moses(I) the Lord’s servant had made in the wilderness. 4 Now David had brought up the ark(J) of God from Kiriath Jearim to the place he had prepared for it, because he had pitched a tent(K) for it in Jerusalem. 5 But the bronze altar(L) that Bezalel(M) son of Uri, the son of Hur, had made was in Gibeon in front of the tabernacle of the Lord; so Solomon and the assembly inquired(N) of him there. 6 Solomon went up to the bronze altar before the Lord in the tent of meeting and offered a thousand burnt offerings on it.

7 That night God appeared(O) to Solomon and said to him, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.”

8 Solomon answered God, “You have shown great kindness to David my father and have made me(P) king in his place. 9 Now, Lord God, let your promise(Q) to my father David be confirmed, for you have made me king over a people who are as numerous as the dust of the earth.(R) 10 Give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may lead(S) this people, for who is able to govern this great people of yours?”

11 God said to Solomon, “Since this is your heart’s desire and you have not asked for wealth,(T) possessions or honor, nor for the death of your enemies, and since you have not asked for a long life but for wisdom and knowledge to govern my people over whom I have made you king, 12 therefore wisdom and knowledge will be given you. And I will also give you wealth, possessions and honor,(U) such as no king who was before you ever had and none after you will have.(V)”

13 Then Solomon went to Jerusalem from the high place at Gibeon, from before the tent of meeting. And he reigned over Israel.

14 Solomon accumulated chariots(W) and horses; he had fourteen hundred chariots and twelve thousand horses,[a] which he kept in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem. 15 The king made silver and gold(X) as common in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig trees in the foothills. 16 Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt and from Kue[b]—the royal merchants purchased them from Kue at the current price. 17 They imported a chariot(Y) from Egypt for six hundred shekels[c] of silver, and a horse for a hundred and fifty.[d] They also exported them to all the kings of the Hittites and of the Arameans.

Preparations for Building the Temple(Z)

2 [e]Solomon gave orders to build a temple(AA) for the Name of the Lord and a royal palace for himself.(AB) 2 He conscripted 70,000 men as carriers and 80,000 as stonecutters in the hills and 3,600 as foremen over them.(AC)

3 Solomon sent this message to Hiram[f](AD) king of Tyre:

“Send me cedar logs(AE) as you did for my father David when you sent him cedar to build a palace to live in. 4 Now I am about to build a temple(AF) for the Name of the Lord my God and to dedicate it to him for burning fragrant incense(AG) before him, for setting out the consecrated bread(AH) regularly, and for making burnt offerings(AI) every morning and evening and on the Sabbaths,(AJ) at the New Moons(AK) and at the appointed festivals of the Lord our God. This is a lasting ordinance for Israel.

5 “The temple I am going to build will be great,(AL) because our God is greater than all other gods.(AM) 6 But who is able to build a temple for him, since the heavens, even the highest heavens, cannot contain him?(AN) Who then am I(AO) to build a temple for him, except as a place to burn sacrifices before him?

7 “Send me, therefore, a man skilled to work in gold and silver, bronze and iron, and in purple, crimson and blue yarn, and experienced in the art of engraving, to work in Judah and Jerusalem with my skilled workers,(AP) whom my father David provided.

8 “Send me also cedar, juniper and algum[g] logs from Lebanon, for I know that your servants are skilled in cutting timber there. My servants will work with yours 9 to provide me with plenty of lumber, because the temple I build must be large and magnificent. 10 I will give your servants, the woodsmen who cut the timber, twenty thousand cors[h] of ground wheat, twenty thousand cors[i] of barley, twenty thousand baths[j] of wine and twenty thousand baths of olive oil.(AQ)”

11 Hiram king of Tyre replied by letter to Solomon:

“Because the Lord loves(AR) his people, he has made you their king.”

12 And Hiram added:

“Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, who made heaven and earth!(AS) He has given King David a wise son, endowed with intelligence and discernment, who will build a temple for the Lord and a palace for himself.

13 “I am sending you Huram-Abi,(AT) a man of great skill, 14 whose mother was from Dan(AU) and whose father was from Tyre. He is trained(AV) to work in gold and silver, bronze and iron, stone and wood, and with purple and blue(AW) and crimson yarn and fine linen. He is experienced in all kinds of engraving and can execute any design given to him. He will work with your skilled workers and with those of my lord, David your father.

15 “Now let my lord send his servants the wheat and barley and the olive oil(AX) and wine he promised, 16 and we will cut all the logs from Lebanon that you need and will float them as rafts by sea down to Joppa.(AY) You can then take them up to Jerusalem.”

17 Solomon took a census of all the foreigners(AZ) residing in Israel, after the census(BA) his father David had taken; and they were found to be 153,600. 18 He assigned(BB) 70,000 of them to be carriers and 80,000 to be stonecutters in the hills, with 3,600 foremen over them to keep the people working.

Solomon Builds the Temple(BC)

3 Then Solomon began to build(BD) the temple of the Lord(BE) in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the Lord had appeared to his father David. It was on the threshing floor of Araunah[k](BF) the Jebusite, the place provided by David. 2 He began building on the second day of the second month in the fourth year of his reign.(BG)

3 The foundation Solomon laid for building the temple of God was sixty cubits long and twenty cubits wide[l](BH) (using the cubit of the old standard). 4 The portico at the front of the temple was twenty cubits[m] long across the width of the building and twenty[n] cubits high.

He overlaid the inside with pure gold. 5 He paneled the main hall with juniper and covered it with fine gold and decorated it with palm tree(BI) and chain designs. 6 He adorned the temple with precious stones. And the gold he used was gold of Parvaim. 7 He overlaid the ceiling beams, doorframes, walls and doors of the temple with gold, and he carved cherubim(BJ) on the walls.

8 He built the Most Holy Place,(BK) its length corresponding to the width of the temple—twenty cubits long and twenty cubits wide. He overlaid the inside with six hundred talents[o] of fine gold. 9 The gold nails(BL) weighed fifty shekels.[p] He also overlaid the upper parts with gold.

10 For the Most Holy Place he made a pair(BM) of sculptured cherubim and overlaid them with gold. 11 The total wingspan of the cherubim was twenty cubits. One wing of the first cherub was five cubits[q] long and touched the temple wall, while its other wing, also five cubits long, touched the wing of the other cherub. 12 Similarly one wing of the second cherub was five cubits long and touched the other temple wall, and its other wing, also five cubits long, touched the wing of the first cherub. 13 The wings of these cherubim(BN) extended twenty cubits. They stood on their feet, facing the main hall.[r]

14 He made the curtain(BO) of blue, purple and crimson yarn and fine linen, with cherubim(BP) worked into it.

15 For the front of the temple he made two pillars,(BQ) which together were thirty-five cubits[s] long, each with a capital(BR) five cubits high. 16 He made interwoven chains[t](BS) and put them on top of the pillars. He also made a hundred pomegranates(BT) and attached them to the chains. 17 He erected the pillars in the front of the temple, one to the south and one to the north. The one to the south he named Jakin[u] and the one to the north Boaz.[v]

The Temple’s Furnishings(BU)

4 He made a bronze altar(BV) twenty cubits long, twenty cubits wide and ten cubits high.[w] 2 He made the Sea(BW) of cast metal, circular in shape, measuring ten cubits from rim to rim and five cubits[x] high. It took a line of thirty cubits[y] to measure around it. 3 Below the rim, figures of bulls encircled it—ten to a cubit.[z] The bulls were cast in two rows in one piece with the Sea.

4 The Sea stood on twelve bulls, three facing north, three facing west, three facing south and three facing east.(BX) The Sea rested on top of them, and their hindquarters were toward the center. 5 It was a handbreadth[aa] in thickness, and its rim was like the rim of a cup, like a lily blossom. It held three thousand baths.[ab]

6 He then made ten basins(BY) for washing and placed five on the south side and five on the north. In them the things to be used for the burnt offerings(BZ) were rinsed, but the Sea was to be used by the priests for washing.

7 He made ten gold lampstands(CA) according to the specifications(CB) for them and placed them in the temple, five on the south side and five on the north.

8 He made ten tables(CC) and placed them in the temple, five on the south side and five on the north. He also made a hundred gold sprinkling bowls.(CD)

9 He made the courtyard(CE) of the priests, and the large court and the doors for the court, and overlaid the doors with bronze. 10 He placed the Sea on the south side, at the southeast corner.

11 And Huram also made the pots and shovels and sprinkling bowls.

So Huram finished(CF) the work he had undertaken for King Solomon in the temple of God:

12 the two pillars;

the two bowl-shaped capitals on top of the pillars;

the two sets of network decorating the two bowl-shaped capitals on top of the pillars;

13 the four hundred pomegranates for the two sets of network (two rows of pomegranates for each network, decorating the bowl-shaped capitals on top of the pillars);

14 the stands(CG) with their basins;

15 the Sea and the twelve bulls under it;

16 the pots, shovels, meat forks and all related articles.

All the objects that Huram-Abi(CH) made for King Solomon for the temple of the Lord were of polished bronze. 17 The king had them cast in clay molds in the plain of the Jordan between Sukkoth(CI) and Zarethan.[ac] 18 All these things that Solomon made amounted to so much that the weight of the bronze(CJ) could not be calculated.

19 Solomon also made all the furnishings that were in God’s temple:

the golden altar;

the tables(CK) on which was the bread of the Presence;

20 the lampstands(CL) of pure gold with their lamps, to burn in front of the inner sanctuary as prescribed;

21 the gold floral work and lamps and tongs (they were solid gold);

22 the pure gold wick trimmers, sprinkling bowls, dishes(CM) and censers;(CN) and the gold doors of the temple: the inner doors to the Most Holy Place and the doors of the main hall.

5 When all the work Solomon had done for the temple of the Lord was finished,(CO) he brought in the things his father David had dedicated(CP)—the silver and gold and all the furnishings—and he placed them in the treasuries of God’s temple.

The Ark Brought to the Temple(CQ)

2 Then Solomon summoned to Jerusalem the elders of Israel, all the heads of the tribes and the chiefs of the Israelite families, to bring up the ark(CR) of the Lord’s covenant from Zion, the City of David. 3 And all the Israelites(CS) came together to the king at the time of the festival in the seventh month.

4 When all the elders of Israel had arrived, the Levites took up the ark, 5 and they brought up the ark and the tent of meeting and all the sacred furnishings in it. The Levitical priests(CT) carried them up; 6 and King Solomon and the entire assembly of Israel that had gathered about him were before the ark, sacrificing so many sheep and cattle that they could not be recorded or counted.

7 The priests then brought the ark(CU) of the Lord’s covenant to its place in the inner sanctuary of the temple, the Most Holy Place, and put it beneath the wings of the cherubim. 8 The cherubim(CV) spread their wings over the place of the ark and covered the ark and its carrying poles. 9 These poles were so long that their ends, extending from the ark, could be seen from in front of the inner sanctuary, but not from outside the Holy Place; and they are still there today. 10 There was nothing in the ark except(CW) the two tablets(CX) that Moses had placed in it at Horeb, where the Lord made a covenant with the Israelites after they came out of Egypt.

11 The priests then withdrew from the Holy Place. All the priests who were there had consecrated themselves, regardless of their divisions.(CY) 12 All the Levites who were musicians(CZ)—Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun and their sons and relatives—stood on the east side of the altar, dressed in fine linen and playing cymbals, harps and lyres. They were accompanied by 120 priests sounding trumpets.(DA) 13 The trumpeters and musicians joined in unison to give praise and thanks to the Lord. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals and other instruments, the singers raised their voices in praise to the Lord and sang:

“He is good;
    his love endures forever.”(DB)

Then the temple of the Lord was filled with the cloud,(DC) 14 and the priests could not perform(DD) their service because of the cloud,(DE) for the glory(DF) of the Lord filled the temple of God.

6 Then Solomon said, “The Lord has said that he would dwell in a dark cloud;(DG) 2 I have built a magnificent temple for you, a place for you to dwell forever.(DH)”

3 While the whole assembly of Israel was standing there, the king turned around and blessed them. 4 Then he said:

“Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, who with his hands has fulfilled what he promised with his mouth to my father David. For he said, 5 ‘Since the day I brought my people out of Egypt, I have not chosen a city in any tribe of Israel to have a temple built so that my Name might be there, nor have I chosen anyone to be ruler over my people Israel. 6 But now I have chosen Jerusalem(DI) for my Name(DJ) to be there, and I have chosen David(DK) to rule my people Israel.’

7 “My father David had it in his heart(DL) to build a temple for the Name of the Lord, the God of Israel. 8 But the Lord said to my father David, ‘You did well to have it in your heart to build a temple for my Name. 9 Nevertheless, you are not the one to build the temple, but your son, your own flesh and blood—he is the one who will build the temple for my Name.’

10 “The Lord has kept the promise he made. I have succeeded David my father and now I sit on the throne of Israel, just as the Lord promised, and I have built the temple for the Name of the Lord, the God of Israel. 11 There I have placed the ark, in which is the covenant(DM) of the Lord that he made with the people of Israel.”

Solomon’s Prayer of Dedication(DN)(DO)

12 Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in front of the whole assembly of Israel and spread out his hands. 13 Now he had made a bronze platform,(DP) five cubits long, five cubits wide and three cubits high,[ad] and had placed it in the center of the outer court. He stood on the platform and then knelt down(DQ) before the whole assembly of Israel and spread out his hands toward heaven. 14 He said:

“Lord, the God of Israel, there is no God like you(DR) in heaven or on earth—you who keep your covenant of love(DS) with your servants who continue wholeheartedly in your way. 15 You have kept your promise to your servant David my father; with your mouth you have promised(DT) and with your hand you have fulfilled it—as it is today.

16 “Now, Lord, the God of Israel, keep for your servant David my father the promises you made to him when you said, ‘You shall never fail(DU) to have a successor to sit before me on the throne of Israel, if only your descendants are careful in all they do to walk before me according to my law,(DV) as you have done.’ 17 And now, Lord, the God of Israel, let your word that you promised your servant David come true.

18 “But will God really dwell(DW) on earth with humans? The heavens,(DX) even the highest heavens, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built! 19 Yet, Lord my God, give attention to your servant’s prayer and his plea for mercy. Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is praying in your presence. 20 May your eyes(DY) be open toward this temple day and night, this place of which you said you would put your Name(DZ) there. May you hear(EA) the prayer your servant prays toward this place. 21 Hear the supplications of your servant and of your people Israel when they pray toward this place. Hear from heaven, your dwelling place; and when you hear, forgive.(EB)

22 “When anyone wrongs their neighbor and is required to take an oath(EC) and they come and swear the oath before your altar in this temple, 23 then hear from heaven and act. Judge between your servants, condemning(ED) the guilty and bringing down on their heads what they have done, and vindicating the innocent by treating them in accordance with their innocence.

24 “When your people Israel have been defeated(EE) by an enemy because they have sinned against you and when they turn back and give praise to your name, praying and making supplication before you in this temple, 25 then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your people Israel and bring them back to the land you gave to them and their ancestors.

26 “When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain(EF) because your people have sinned against you, and when they pray toward this place and give praise to your name and turn from their sin because you have afflicted them, 27 then hear from heaven and forgive(EG) the sin of your servants, your people Israel. Teach them the right way to live, and send rain on the land you gave your people for an inheritance.

28 “When famine(EH) or plague comes to the land, or blight or mildew, locusts or grasshoppers, or when enemies besiege them in any of their cities, whatever disaster or disease may come, 29 and when a prayer or plea is made by anyone among your people Israel—being aware of their afflictions and pains, and spreading out their hands toward this temple— 30 then hear from heaven, your dwelling place. Forgive,(EI) and deal with everyone according to all they do, since you know their hearts (for you alone know the human heart),(EJ) 31 so that they will fear you(EK) and walk in obedience to you all the time they live in the land you gave our ancestors.

32 “As for the foreigner who does not belong to your people Israel but has come(EL) from a distant land because of your great name and your mighty hand(EM) and your outstretched arm—when they come and pray toward this temple, 33 then hear from heaven, your dwelling place. Do whatever the foreigner(EN) asks of you, so that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your own people Israel, and may know that this house I have built bears your Name.

34 “When your people go to war against their enemies,(EO) wherever you send them, and when they pray(EP) to you toward this city you have chosen and the temple I have built for your Name, 35 then hear from heaven their prayer and their plea, and uphold their cause.

36 “When they sin against you—for there is no one who does not sin(EQ)—and you become angry with them and give them over to the enemy, who takes them captive(ER) to a land far away or near; 37 and if they have a change of heart(ES) in the land where they are held captive, and repent and plead with you in the land of their captivity and say, ‘We have sinned, we have done wrong and acted wickedly’; 38 and if they turn back to you with all their heart and soul in the land of their captivity where they were taken, and pray toward the land you gave their ancestors, toward the city you have chosen and toward the temple I have built for your Name; 39 then from heaven, your dwelling place, hear their prayer and their pleas, and uphold their cause. And forgive(ET) your people, who have sinned against you.

40 “Now, my God, may your eyes be open and your ears attentive(EU) to the prayers offered in this place.

41 “Now arise,(EV) Lord God, and come to your resting place,(EW)
    you and the ark of your might.
May your priests,(EX) Lord God, be clothed with salvation,
    may your faithful people rejoice in your goodness.(EY)
42 Lord God, do not reject your anointed one.(EZ)
    Remember the great love(FA) promised to David your servant.”

The Dedication of the Temple(FB)

7 When Solomon finished praying, fire(FC) came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled(FD) the temple.(FE) 2 The priests could not enter(FF) the temple of the Lord because the glory(FG) of the Lord filled it. 3 When all the Israelites saw the fire coming down and the glory of the Lord above the temple, they knelt on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and they worshiped and gave thanks to the Lord, saying,

“He is good;
    his love endures forever.”(FH)

4 Then the king and all the people offered sacrifices before the Lord. 5 And King Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty-two thousand head of cattle and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep and goats. So the king and all the people dedicated the temple of God. 6 The priests took their positions, as did the Levites(FI) with the Lord’s musical instruments,(FJ) which King David had made for praising the Lord and which were used when he gave thanks, saying, “His love endures forever.” Opposite the Levites, the priests blew their trumpets, and all the Israelites were standing.

7 Solomon consecrated the middle part of the courtyard in front of the temple of the Lord, and there he offered burnt offerings and the fat(FK) of the fellowship offerings, because the bronze altar he had made could not hold the burnt offerings, the grain offerings and the fat portions.

8 So Solomon observed the festival(FL) at that time for seven days, and all Israel(FM) with him—a vast assembly, people from Lebo Hamath(FN) to the Wadi of Egypt.(FO) 9 On the eighth day they held an assembly, for they had celebrated(FP) the dedication of the altar for seven days and the festival(FQ) for seven days more. 10 On the twenty-third day of the seventh month he sent the people to their homes, joyful and glad in heart for the good things the Lord had done for David and Solomon and for his people Israel.

The Lord Appears to Solomon(FR)

11 When Solomon had finished(FS) the temple of the Lord and the royal palace, and had succeeded in carrying out all he had in mind to do in the temple of the Lord and in his own palace, 12 the Lord appeared(FT) to him at night and said:

“I have heard your prayer and have chosen(FU) this place for myself(FV) as a temple for sacrifices.

13 “When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain,(FW) or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, 14 if my people, who are called by my name,(FX) will humble(FY) themselves and pray and seek my face(FZ) and turn(GA) from their wicked ways, then I will hear(GB) from heaven, and I will forgive(GC) their sin and will heal(GD) their land. 15 Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place.(GE) 16 I have chosen(GF) and consecrated this temple so that my Name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there.

17 “As for you, if you walk before me faithfully(GG) as David your father did, and do all I command, and observe my decrees(GH) and laws, 18 I will establish your royal throne, as I covenanted(GI) with David your father when I said, ‘You shall never fail to have a successor(GJ) to rule over Israel.’(GK)

19 “But if you[ae] turn away(GL) and forsake(GM) the decrees and commands I have given you[af] and go off to serve other gods and worship them, 20 then I will uproot(GN) Israel from my land,(GO) which I have given them, and will reject this temple I have consecrated for my Name. I will make it a byword and an object of ridicule(GP) among all peoples. 21 This temple will become a heap of rubble. All[ag] who pass by will be appalled(GQ) and say,(GR) ‘Why has the Lord done such a thing to this land and to this temple?’ 22 People will answer, ‘Because they have forsaken the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who brought them out of Egypt, and have embraced other gods, worshiping and serving them(GS)—that is why he brought all this disaster on them.’”

Solomon’s Other Activities(GT)

8 At the end of twenty years, during which Solomon built the temple of the Lord and his own palace,(GU) 2 Solomon rebuilt the villages that Hiram[ah] had given him, and settled Israelites in them. 3 Solomon then went to Hamath Zobah and captured it. 4 He also built up Tadmor in the desert and all the store cities he had built in Hamath.(GV) 5 He rebuilt Upper Beth Horon(GW) and Lower Beth Horon as fortified cities, with walls and with gates and bars, 6 as well as Baalath(GX) and all his store cities, and all the cities for his chariots and for his horses[ai]—whatever he desired to build in Jerusalem, in Lebanon and throughout all the territory he ruled.

7 There were still people left from the Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites(GY) (these people were not Israelites). 8 Solomon conscripted(GZ) the descendants of all these people remaining in the land—whom the Israelites had not destroyed—to serve as slave labor, as it is to this day. 9 But Solomon did not make slaves of the Israelites for his work; they were his fighting men, commanders of his captains, and commanders of his chariots and charioteers. 10 They were also King Solomon’s chief officials—two hundred and fifty officials supervising the men.

11 Solomon brought Pharaoh’s daughter(HA) up from the City of David to the palace he had built for her, for he said, “My wife must not live in the palace of David king of Israel, because the places the ark of the Lord has entered are holy.”

12 On the altar(HB) of the Lord that he had built in front of the portico, Solomon sacrificed burnt offerings to the Lord, 13 according to the daily requirement(HC) for offerings commanded by Moses for the Sabbaths,(HD) the New Moons(HE) and the three(HF) annual festivals—the Festival of Unleavened Bread,(HG) the Festival of Weeks(HH) and the Festival of Tabernacles.(HI) 14 In keeping with the ordinance of his father David, he appointed the divisions(HJ) of the priests for their duties, and the Levites(HK) to lead the praise and to assist the priests according to each day’s requirement. He also appointed the gatekeepers(HL) by divisions for the various gates, because this was what David the man of God(HM) had ordered.(HN) 15 They did not deviate from the king’s commands to the priests or to the Levites in any matter, including that of the treasuries.

16 All Solomon’s work was carried out, from the day the foundation of the temple of the Lord was laid until its completion. So the temple of the Lord was finished.

17 Then Solomon went to Ezion Geber and Elath on the coast of Edom. 18 And Hiram sent him ships commanded by his own men, sailors who knew the sea. These, with Solomon’s men, sailed to Ophir and brought back four hundred and fifty talents[aj] of gold,(HO) which they delivered to King Solomon.

The Queen of Sheba Visits Solomon(HP)

9 When the queen of Sheba(HQ) heard of Solomon’s fame, she came to Jerusalem to test him with hard questions. Arriving with a very great caravan—with camels carrying spices, large quantities of gold, and precious stones—she came to Solomon and talked with him about all she had on her mind. 2 Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was too hard for him to explain to her. 3 When the queen of Sheba saw the wisdom of Solomon,(HR) as well as the palace he had built, 4 the food on his table, the seating of his officials, the attending servants in their robes, the cupbearers in their robes and the burnt offerings he made at[ak] the temple of the Lord, she was overwhelmed.

5 She said to the king, “The report I heard in my own country about your achievements and your wisdom is true. 6 But I did not believe what they said until I came(HS) and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, not even half the greatness of your wisdom was told me; you have far exceeded the report I heard. 7 How happy your people must be! How happy your officials, who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom! 8 Praise be to the Lord your God, who has delighted in you and placed you on his throne(HT) as king to rule for the Lord your God. Because of the love of your God for Israel and his desire to uphold them forever, he has made you king(HU) over them, to maintain justice and righteousness.”

9 Then she gave the king 120 talents[al] of gold,(HV) large quantities of spices, and precious stones. There had never been such spices as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.

10 (The servants of Hiram and the servants of Solomon brought gold from Ophir;(HW) they also brought algumwood[am] and precious stones. 11 The king used the algumwood to make steps for the temple of the Lord and for the royal palace, and to make harps and lyres for the musicians. Nothing like them had ever been seen in Judah.)

12 King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba all she desired and asked for; he gave her more than she had brought to him. Then she left and returned with her retinue to her own country.

Solomon’s Splendor(HX)

13 The weight of the gold that Solomon received yearly was 666 talents,[an] 14 not including the revenues brought in by merchants and traders. Also all the kings of Arabia(HY) and the governors of the territories brought gold and silver to Solomon.

15 King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold; six hundred shekels[ao] of hammered gold went into each shield. 16 He also made three hundred small shields(HZ) of hammered gold, with three hundred shekels[ap] of gold in each shield. The king put them in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon.(IA)

17 Then the king made a great throne covered with ivory(IB) and overlaid with pure gold. 18 The throne had six steps, and a footstool of gold was attached to it. On both sides of the seat were armrests, with a lion standing beside each of them. 19 Twelve lions stood on the six steps, one at either end of each step. Nothing like it had ever been made for any other kingdom. 20 All King Solomon’s goblets were gold, and all the household articles in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold. Nothing was made of silver, because silver was considered of little value in Solomon’s day. 21 The king had a fleet of trading ships[aq] manned by Hiram’s[ar] servants. Once every three years it returned, carrying gold, silver and ivory, and apes and baboons.

22 King Solomon was greater in riches and wisdom than all the other kings of the earth.(IC) 23 All the kings(ID) of the earth sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart. 24 Year after year, everyone who came brought a gift(IE)—articles of silver and gold, and robes, weapons and spices, and horses and mules.

25 Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots,(IF) and twelve thousand horses,[as] which he kept in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem. 26 He ruled(IG) over all the kings from the Euphrates River(IH) to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt.(II) 27 The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig trees in the foothills. 28 Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt and from all other countries.

Solomon’s Death(IJ)

29 As for the other events of Solomon’s reign, from beginning to end, are they not written in the records of Nathan(IK) the prophet, in the prophecy of Ahijah(IL) the Shilonite and in the visions of Iddo the seer concerning Jeroboam(IM) son of Nebat? 30 Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years. 31 Then he rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of David(IN) his father. And Rehoboam his son succeeded him as king.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Chronicles 1:14 Or charioteers
  2. 2 Chronicles 1:16 Probably Cilicia
  3. 2 Chronicles 1:17 That is, about 15 pounds or about 6.9 kilograms
  4. 2 Chronicles 1:17 That is, about 3 3/4 pounds or about 1.7 kilograms
  5. 2 Chronicles 2:1 In Hebrew texts 2:1 is numbered 1:18, and 2:2-18 is numbered 2:1-17.
  6. 2 Chronicles 2:3 Hebrew Huram, a variant of Hiram; also in verses 11 and 12
  7. 2 Chronicles 2:8 Probably a variant of almug
  8. 2 Chronicles 2:10 That is, probably about 3,600 tons or about 3,200 metric tons of wheat
  9. 2 Chronicles 2:10 That is, probably about 3,000 tons or about 2,700 metric tons of barley
  10. 2 Chronicles 2:10 That is, about 120,000 gallons or about 440,000 liters
  11. 2 Chronicles 3:1 Hebrew Ornan, a variant of Araunah
  12. 2 Chronicles 3:3 That is, about 90 feet long and 30 feet wide or about 27 meters long and 9 meters wide
  13. 2 Chronicles 3:4 That is, about 30 feet or about 9 meters; also in verses 8, 11 and 13
  14. 2 Chronicles 3:4 Some Septuagint and Syriac manuscripts; Hebrew and a hundred and twenty
  15. 2 Chronicles 3:8 That is, about 23 tons or about 21 metric tons
  16. 2 Chronicles 3:9 That is, about 1 1/4 pounds or about 575 grams
  17. 2 Chronicles 3:11 That is, about 7 1/2 feet or about 2.3 meters; also in verse 15
  18. 2 Chronicles 3:13 Or facing inward
  19. 2 Chronicles 3:15 That is, about 53 feet or about 16 meters
  20. 2 Chronicles 3:16 Or possibly made chains in the inner sanctuary; the meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.
  21. 2 Chronicles 3:17 Jakin probably means he establishes.
  22. 2 Chronicles 3:17 Boaz probably means in him is strength.
  23. 2 Chronicles 4:1 That is, about 30 feet long and wide and 15 feet high or about 9 meters long and wide and 4.5 meters high
  24. 2 Chronicles 4:2 That is, about 7 1/2 feet or about 2.3 meters
  25. 2 Chronicles 4:2 That is, about 45 feet or about 14 meters
  26. 2 Chronicles 4:3 That is, about 18 inches or about 45 centimeters
  27. 2 Chronicles 4:5 That is, about 3 inches or about 7.5 centimeters
  28. 2 Chronicles 4:5 That is, about 18,000 gallons or about 66,000 liters
  29. 2 Chronicles 4:17 Hebrew Zeredatha, a variant of Zarethan
  30. 2 Chronicles 6:13 That is, about 7 1/2 feet long and wide and 4 1/2 feet high or about 2.3 meters long and wide and 1.4 meters high
  31. 2 Chronicles 7:19 The Hebrew is plural.
  32. 2 Chronicles 7:19 The Hebrew is plural.
  33. 2 Chronicles 7:21 See some Septuagint manuscripts, Old Latin, Syriac, Arabic and Targum; Hebrew And though this temple is now so imposing, all
  34. 2 Chronicles 8:2 Hebrew Huram, a variant of Hiram; also in verse 18
  35. 2 Chronicles 8:6 Or charioteers
  36. 2 Chronicles 8:18 That is, about 17 tons or about 15 metric tons
  37. 2 Chronicles 9:4 Or and the ascent by which he went up to
  38. 2 Chronicles 9:9 That is, about 4 1/2 tons or about 4 metric tons
  39. 2 Chronicles 9:10 Probably a variant of almugwood
  40. 2 Chronicles 9:13 That is, about 25 tons or about 23 metric tons
  41. 2 Chronicles 9:15 That is, about 15 pounds or about 6.9 kilograms
  42. 2 Chronicles 9:16 That is, about 7 1/2 pounds or about 3.5 kilograms
  43. 2 Chronicles 9:21 Hebrew of ships that could go to Tarshish
  44. 2 Chronicles 9:21 Hebrew Huram, a variant of Hiram
  45. 2 Chronicles 9:25 Or charioteers
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1 Chronicles 29
2 Chronicles 10
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